


Weapons of Mass Distraction

by mscyanide



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-05
Updated: 2016-02-23
Packaged: 2018-02-07 13:08:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1900116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mscyanide/pseuds/mscyanide
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU/AH Klaroline in Washington DC, where Care works in the DA's office, Klaus is a shady billionaire with influence, and Elena is in Congress.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, I'm a fan of political shows and films, particularly if they fall within the satire genre. I'm nowhere near knowledgeable or talented enough to write such things, but if there was ever an arena for a human Klaus to cause havoc surely it would be in politics.
> 
> The title is stolen from a film I'm fond of.
> 
> This is simply an introduction to establish the relationships and events that have occurred before the actual story begins. If you have watched the show from the beginning it should be fairly clear where this falls, you know if I hadn't turned everyone human and deposited them in Washington DC.
> 
> I make no promises for quick updates as I haven't actually mapped the story out yet. Also I have no beta and tend to just write and post so if you pick up errors please point them out.

There are, it is said, only two certainties in life – death and taxes – Elena Gilbert would argue for a third - Klaus Mikaelson's capacity for destruction. Her short term in politics had been subjugated by his vicious tendencies – one attack after the other all aimed at forcing her to either bow to his will or simply bow-out.

Barely two months into the campaign his  _people_ had approached requesting that she lend her ear to their concerns. Naïve as she was she had dismissed the request out of hand, not interested in listening to their oil fueled arguments. After all, what was the harm in her considering bills on their merits rather than what each lobby group determined was their pitfalls? What was the harm in forming one's own policies and opinions?

Apparently a lot, for not a week later her best friend/de facto campaign manager would have, had Damon Salvatore not somehow managed to recover the incriminating pictures, been plastered all over the tabloids in a compromising position with one Tyler Lockwood. Making out with one's boyfriend fully clothed, albeit in a dress that left little to the imagination, was hardly front page news, but there was just something decidedly unseemly getting it on in the cabinet room. Particularly when one of the participants happened to be the son of the republican senate leader and the other was running a surprisingly effective campaign to get a young idealistic Elena Gilbert elected to Congress. Not to forget that they their being there was a security breach which had apparently been ignored.

Elena didn't know how Damon had retrieved the photos and she wasn't sure she wanted to, she was simply grateful that her best friend was spared the embarrassment and her campaign hadn't suffered. Of course just as they had all breathed a sigh of relief, another far more damaging story made front page news.

Everyone was aware that her aunt Jenna, who had acted as her guardian since the untimely death of her parents, had been somewhat wild in her youth, but they regretfully hadn't realized just how wild. There could be no denial that the naked woman snorting cocaine and engaging in BDSM sex acts with no less than four partners was Jenna Sommers considering the excellent lighting and high resolution. It was in fact so good that one couldn't help but think it was a professional job. It was certainly a professional stitch-up; one that Mikaelson, despite the lack of evidence, was clearly behind.

Regardless, the fact remained that whether Jenna was set up or not she had been a very active participant. A very active participant that, in contrast to her bondage mask wearing partners, was staring directly into the camera's lens, her face as unobstructed as her body was unclothed – if one didn't consider nipple clamps clothing.

Jenna, who had moved passed the excesses of her youth to become a respectable member of society, was devastated to say the least. In fact she was so distraught that in an ill-fated attempt to escape the hounding press core she got behind the wheel, took a corner much too quickly, lost control, and ploughed head-on into an oncoming vehicle. In doing so she killed not only herself but both occupants in the other car. Having lost her parents in a car crash, it was particularly traumatic for Elena and having to publicly apologize to the families of Jules and Greta only made it worse.

But what really destroyed her, what had kept her up at night, was the knowledge that it was all her fault. If she had only played along, smiled and nodded, the people she was close to would not have become targets. Fifteen years was a long time to hold onto something so explosive, but it was a well-known fact that Klaus Mikaelson played a long game and considering the Gilbert's prominence in politics they should have anticipated it. They should have, as Caroline herself had suggested when Elena first announced that she was considering running, check the family closets for skeletons or better yet have Bonnie check.

At the time Elena had laughed, a family such as hers wasn't prone to the types of scandals that destroyed so many others. Hell, the Gilberts were so well established amongst the power players of DC they were practically a founding family. Or at least they had been, before her Uncle John's unexpected withdrawal from society, before her father's untimely death. Elena had intended to continue her family's legacy, but it seemed she was destined for failure, or rather that Klaus Mikaelson decided she was.

It was following Jenna's death that Caroline ignored Elena's protest that if there was something to find it would have come out during her father's long political career and had Bonnie dig into the Gilbert clan. Bonnie Bennett another of Elena's best friends and the real life version of Olivia Pope, uncovered much more than Elena had thought possible. It turned out that the Gilbert family had a lot of secrets - their history was soap opera worthy.

The most shocking secret, at least as far as Elena was concerned, was that Grayson and Miranda Gilbert weren't her birth parents, she was it seemed the product of an illicit affair between her Uncle John – a man she wasn't excessively fond of – and Isobel Flemming who was apparently the ex-wife of Alaric Saltzman who just happened to be the love of Jenna Sommers last few years of life. If that wasn't enough Isobel Flemming was also a distant cousin from the Petrova side of the family - that being Elena's grandmother's maiden name.

What's more Damon Salvatore, the very same Damon Salvatore that had saved her best friend from public embarrassment was responsible for the breakdown in Isobel and Alaric's marriage having apparently screwed her out of love with the man. And as though it couldn't get any worse this was after Katerina Petrova – otherwise known as Katherine Pierce – had broken Damon's heart having dumped him for his younger brother Stefan, who was then later discarded in favor of Elijah Mikaelson, the devil's own brother.

And the incestuous cherry on top? Elena Gilbert second cousin of one Katherine Pierce was, at the time, very much in love with Stefan Salvatore and on the verge of getting engaged.

The further back one went the worse it seemed to get, her ancestors were apparently every bit as vicious as Klaus Mikaelson and had throughout their time in DC and their ancestral home of Mystic Falls Virginia engaged in a variety of unsavory actions which if revealed would surely end her short career in politics. Thankfully Katherine Pierce was an evil bitch and could be counted on decimating any and all that attempted to bring her family's good name into disrepute so they had little to fear in relation to the Petrova's long line of atrocities.

Her Uncle nee birth father had put an end to the personal scandal by publicly declaring that Elena whilst biologically his was now and always had been the daughter of Grayson Gilbert. It was not a secret he declared, merely private and at no point had any of the family made an effort to hide it. Though not exactly true, the media found it less interesting than the life and times of Jenna Sommers so it died a quick death. John Gilbert faded back into the anonymity he seemed so set on and Caroline somehow spun it so that Elena's story was the kind of fairy tale the public seemed so fond of – right up until they pushed you off the cliff that is.

Considering their campaign was driven by name recognition it was perhaps surprising that all the bad publicity did not appear to influence the result. Caroline had jokingly stated that voting Gilbert was so ingrained in the constituents' minds that she could have spent their entire marketing allocation on shoes and still delivered a Gilbert win. Considering a post voting survey indicated that a large selection of those who advised they voted for her did so mostly out of habit, Caroline's joke was more fact than fiction.

Elena arrived in Washington DC hopeful that the ugliness that surrounded her run for office would be relegated to history now that she was an elected official, but she soon realized that was not to be the case. It had started well, if you didn't include Caroline abandoning her to return to the DA's office from where she had taken a leave of absence in order to help get Elena elected. The way Caroline told it Elena had fought through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered to make it to Capitol Hill, and would be just fine without her. Elena wished that was the case.

It started well. Her appointed office wasn't in the best location, but nor was it as bad as it could have been. Damon had agreed to act as her Chief of Staff and she had faith that while he might not have been the most reputable of people he had her best interests at heart. She settled in, was almost comfortable, and then something astounding happened. Raising not just a few eyebrows freshly elected Elena Gilbert was appointed to fill the seat of a recently deceased member of the Ways and Means committee, one of the most powerful committees in the House. Her father had served twelve years and never hoped to reach such a lofty position, Elena was barely in office four months.

It was unheard of, utterly unprecedented. Elena was flattered, though perplexed. Until of course she received yet another  _request_  from his  _people_  – it was all downhill from there. She was not so foolish to turn him down twice, even though there was no one in the whole wide world she hated more. So behind closed doors she and Damon meet with the Devil's representatives and in that meeting they proceeded to outline the way of the world. Elena had been enraged, but she swallowed down her wrath and with a very carefully controlled expression she thanked them for their time – as though they had done her a favor – and politely showed them the door. Upon their exit they handed Damon an envelope and extended well wishes to the two of them.

The contents of the envelope turned rage into terror, for the disc within held details of each and every scandal that could bury her political career and one more that might have sent Damon Salvatore to jail. And Damon probably would have ended up there had Stefan, her  _epic_ love, not made a deal with the Devil that saved him. Stefan had, much like his elder brother, spent a good few years whoring out his legal services to the rich and notorious. At some point during his immoral past as the Ripper, so named because he utterly decimated all those that stood against him whether by legal means or others, he and the Devil had become the best of friends. That friendship had ended when Stefan grew a conscience and started working in the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia as an assistant DA.

When Elena showed Stefan the contents of the disc he said not a word, but left her office and then not one hour later rang her to announce that he had taken care of it. The next day Caroline, who was Stefan's protégé at the DA's office, rang and advised that Stefan had quit and was going to work for Mikaelson Incorporated. About a hundred unanswered voice mails later, Stefan responded by breaking up with her by text and promptly left the city to take up residence in Chicago in which Mikaelson's head office was situated. To say she was devastated was an understatement; if not for the support of Damon and her friends she might have quit.

But she didn't, she remained. Two years in office as Mikaelson's virtual puppet pushing through every piece of tax legislation that might enable the billionaire to become that little bit richer, but still there.

Waiting.

And should Bonnie Bennett manage to find the chink in the devil's armor, if they ever found a way, she would destroy him.


	2. Chapter 2

There was nowhere in the world she felt more at home than in the court room, well maybe the law library or the conference room or judge's chambers – basically wherever law dominated. And wherever law dominated, Caroline Forbes dominated. She had a natural affinity for it, the control freak inside her found comfort in legislation, the almost obsessive requirement to have everything in perfect order a seamless fit to her chosen profession.

Though only too aware, and much too often reminded, that Elena had wanted her to resign and take up a position on the Congresswoman's permanent staff she had politely declined. Caroline wasn't fond of politics or for that matter the majority of politicians, so she had no inclination to turn her short foray into that world into a full time occupation. She supported Elena wholeheartedly but she wasn't willing to give up on her dreams to be her friend's on-staff cheerleader. Besides, Caroline was both an Independent and much too inclined to tell people exactly what she actually thought - not exactly the ideal staffer for anyone who wanted more than a single term in office.

Caroline had felt bad for turning down her friend, but she was no longer the girl so desperate for approval that she would do what everyone else wanted her to. That girl was well and truly dead and buried, she was Caroline Forbes rising star of the DA's office. And at the end of the day Elena didn't really need her anyway, what could she do that Damon, the dick, Salvatore didn't? So no matter how many forlorn looks the brunette threw her way she was steadfast, even after Stefan abandoned them to go work for the enemy.

Still, she felt bad...most of the time. Right now though she was more annoyed. "Stop looking at me like that," she snapped.

"Caroline, I nee…" Elena began.

And she cut her off. "It's not going to happen, I'm happy and if I had to spend quantity time with Salvadork I'd turn homicidal. Do you really want that on your conscience? You know orange isn't my color."

"I'm sorry, okay, I'm just frustrated. This isn't how I envisioned my political career going," Elena said with a deep sigh.

"Didn't you just score a major victory on the welfare bill? Small though the margin was, you were instrumental," she smiled brightly hoping Elena would focus on the positive and forget the many negatives at least for the duration of lunch.

"Not much use if we cannot pay for it and I pretty much insured we can't when I killed the new tax rate initiative," Elena just refused to co-operate.

"Oh come on, even you have to admit that proposal was a stinker. I mean really how effective have all the other initiatives to make higher income earners pay more tax really been? You impose a higher rate of tax and they find a loophole to legally avoid it – if you want to make the rich pay more tax try rescinding the many volumes of tax legislation and imposing a flat rate of tax for one and all," Caroline replied as she angrily stabbed at her salad with her fork. This wasn't how she imagined her respite from her large case load would go. She should have known better, after all if this was meant to be a nice relaxing social lunch Elena would have invited Bonnie.

"Wow Caroline, tell me what you really think," Elena snapped back.

It was Caroline's turn to sigh. "I'm sorry that He who must not be named has tainted your dream, but you have to stop asking me to give up mine," she told her in the calmest voice she could manage.

Elena's mouth hung open, her eyes widened in shock. "Oh god, I'm so selfish," her voice barely above a whisper.

And Caroline was back to feeling bad. "Elena, you're not selfish," she reassured her best friend. Caroline could see that Elena didn't believe her and as she was in no mood to listen to Elena's  _I should just resign_ speech she moved on to a subject one down on the list of things she didn't want to talk about. "Have you heard from Stefan?"

"Not since the text; he was in Tennessee more recently," Elena answered with her eyes firmly fixed on her ravioli.

"What on earth was he doing in Tennessee?" she asked before taking a large sip of her wine.

"You don't want to know Blondie," Damon interrupted.

Caroline tensed involuntarily, she was aware that Damon had  _changed_  – he had saved her from a national scandal and Elena certainly told her often enough - but she didn't think she would ever be truly comfortable in his company. She'd moved on,  _mostly_  gotten over it, but she hadn't forgiven and she would  _never_  forget. His hand came to rest on her shoulder and it took everything she had not to jab her fork through the offending appendage.

How was it that he could act as though nothing had happened?

How was it that Elena could?

"Did you need something Damon?" Elena asked, sounding almost as though she were offering her  _personal_  services.

Unable to abide the blatant, though perhaps unconscious flirting or endure Damon's unwanted touch a moment longer Caroline rose to her feet.

"If you'll excuse me," she mumbled as she grabbed her purse and headed for the restroom. Once safely ensconced in the man free zone, she stared into the expansive mirror and for a time completely blanked out. The sound of the door opening brought her back to her senses. She ignored the woman who crossed behind her to enter the stalls and after reapplying her lip gloss made way back to the table determined not to let him get to her.

Easier said than done.

Damon was sitting in her chair shoving her salad down his gullet, and worse still polishing off her wine, whilst Elena was reviewing something or other on a tablet. The sight was almost as unwelcome as his arrival was. She huffed in annoyance. "Seriously Damon?"

"What?" he questioned with a mouth full of her food.

"I hope you choke," she bit out and then turned to Elena. "I have to go, but I'll see you tonight?"

Elena looked up, her eyes briefly narrowing at Damon's chock-full maw before refocusing on the blonde with a slightly puzzled expression. "Of course, what time was that again?"

"Your  _brother's_ event starts at 8:30; it's in your schedule," she told her and then slid her eyes to the lunch stealer. "The bad seed is paying for lunch," she said with a big bright smile. Then a couple air kisses with Elena and she was out the door before Damon disposed of enough food to respond. Feeling the need for a little fresh air she walked back to the office where she remained working on evidence briefs until her phone beeped alerting her to a text message from Elena advising she was on her way. She had a brief moment of panic – how did she lose track of time?

Caroline hurriedly filed away her documents and then grabbing her garment bag from behind her office door she traipsed up the hall and let herself into her boss's office. She proceeded to shower in his adjoining en suite (she had asked, well she'd sort of mentioned it…she'd clean up after) and then stepped into her dress, threw her hair up in a loose bun leaving her bangs hanging loose. A quick application of make-up and a strappy pair of stilettos and she was ready. Maybe not up to insecure High School Caroline standards, but more than adequate for the new and improved version.

As it was she still didn't leave the office until five minutes after she was meant to be meeting Tyler. She hurried out of the main office doors tugging on her coat hoping that she'd suddenly turn into the luckiest girl in DC and stumble upon an available cab.

Turned out she didn't need one as there he was, her knight in shining Armani, standing beside his town car with a big grin on his face.

"Tyler," she breathed a relieved sigh.

"Figured you'd be late," he offered in explanation before opening the door for her and assisting her into the car before running around the back and entering on the other side. The moment Tyler's seat-belt was fastened the driver steered the car back into traffic.

"You are a lifesaver," she stated as she placed a light kiss to his cheek.

"You look beautiful Care," he said sincerely and she smiled brightly in return.

They arrived late, but no so late that they missed the introduction and speeches. Caroline thought Jeremy looked particularly uncomfortable in the tailored suite his sister had brought him, she imagined that he would have much preferred a causal jeans and t-shirt opening than the cocktail attire Elena had talked him into. Tyler and her among the first to congratulate him on his very first exhibit, he waved them away clearly embarrassed. She rather suspected he would abscond from his own event if given the opportunity.

When Tyler's attention was claimed by one of his mother's minions she turned her own on Jeremy's art work - she wasn't exactly an expert but she thought his work was good. She sincerely hoped he would do well and his profile would lift because for longest time following his parent's deaths and then the whole thing with Jenna it seemed like Jeremy had gone off the rails for good. Art had brought him back. Well art and Bonnie.

Caroline's eyes moved to the next piece and she was suddenly worrying about a relapse. Its focus was a woman who bore a striking resemblance to Jeremy's old flame Anna, its inclusion in the exhibit, one that Bonnie was attending was a recipe for disaster. Bonnie would surely see it, and when she did world war three would start. Caroline's eyes scanned the room for Tyler hopeful that she might convince him to buy it and have it taken off the wall before her best friend came upon it. There was no sign of her boyfriend, but she did see her ex. Matt was in front of another piece which if she was not mistaken drew its inspiration from yet another of Jeremy's past lovers and Matt's sister Vicki who had died in a drug overdose four years earlier.

Matt's forlorn look had her inching to go comfort him, but she doubted he would want her to. Even though he had broken up with her she had taken up with his best friend and it was kind of awkward. Two arms encircled her waist, followed by a series of light kisses upon her neck, she didn't have to turn to know it was Tyler.

"Do you think Matt's okay?" she asked him, her gaze still fixed on their friend.

"I'm kissing you and you're wondering about your ex-boyfriend?" he breathed in her ear.

She turned in his arms so that she could see his face. "I'm asking you if you think our friend, who we both love, is okay."

Tyler's eyes turned to watch Matt, he sighed heavily. "I think he probably doesn't have a lot of people to talk to anymore. I think he's struggling more than he lets on," he said and then his gaze refocused on her. "I think that I love how big your heart is."

Caroline smiled at him, but her thoughts were still firmly on Matt. They had dated three years previous, until he broke up with her because he wasn't ready for a serious commitment that she hadn't actually been asking for. Not too long after she started dating his best friend Tyler and though Matt always maintained he was happy for the two of them Caroline knew they had hurt him. It had taken a long time for him to seem comfortable in the same round with them. They were all friends again now, but not as close as they once were and she wondered if he had anyone he could confide in. Her contemplation of Matt was interrupted when she spied Bonnie approaching the disaster zone. "Oh my god," she said pushing out of Tyler's arms intending to intercept her friend before she discovered Anna's piece.

The moment Bonnie's eyes widened she knew she was already too late, luckily a quick scan of the area confirmed the artist was not within sight. She just hoped he'd stay out of sight because Bonnie looked like she had homicide on her mind, so much so that Caroline didn't think it was wise to approach. "I need a drink," she announced to no one in particular.

* * *

Niklaus Mikaelson was a vindictive man, quick to anger and slow to forgive. In his wake he had left a trail of broken hearts and dreams, a monument to his success at the expense of others. He did not feel and he did not care, at least as far as those not admitted to his inner circle were aware.

He was rich, he was powerful, and justifiably arrogant. Accustomed to getting what he wanted, when he wanted, those precious few that refused him did so at their own peril. It was so rare an occurrence that he was denied anything he might wish that when such a thing happened it was genuinely shocking.

Elena Gilbert had shocked him, but he had soon brought her into line.

Or so he had thought. The Welfare initiative she had recently spear-headed was an unwelcome development, not because he thought it would have the slightest impact but because such action from "the most right-wing democrat ever elected" might cause an enterprising someone to investigate just why the Congresswoman who systematically demolished all tax proposals that might have a negative effect upon Mikaelson Incorporated's bottom line was suddenly gung-ho on helping the poor.

Clearly Congresswoman Gilbert needed to be reminded of just who was in charge, and being that he was most assuredly in the mood to socialize he figured he may as well do it himself. He entered the gallery with a leggy beauty on each arm, not actually invited to Jeremy Gilbert's oh so thrilling exhibition but rather unlikely to be shown the door. The ladies on his arms were of the usual variety, exceptionally attractive and dependably vapid. His interest in them went no further than their ability to sate his baser instincts, he rather though they were of the opinion his most attractive feature was his bank balance. Dreams of black credit cards embossed with their names swimming through their otherwise empty heads.

If they were exceptionally adept at best they could aspire to a second night in his bed, but no doubt they were hoping that their eagerness and expertise in the boudoir might earn them a more permanent place on his arm. They both of them held certain charms but he was a confirmed bachelor, having no desire to fill the position of Mrs Niklaus Mikaelson and thus far had found neither of them engaging enough to continue their acquaintance passed the events to take place later that evening. Hell, he couldn't even recall their names.

"How quaint," Rebekah sneered behind him.

As she never showed any interest in his collection of bed-warmers he assumed she meant the venue. The gallery was reputable and had helped launch quite a few artists - Klaus had even sourced a few pieces from it for his DC residence - but it had a kind of warehouse vibe not in keeping with Rebekah's Chanel taste. It was, he supposed junkyard chic which fit quite well with Jeremy's graphic art leaning pieces.

A quick purview of the work on display was enough to convince him that young Gilbert had actual talent. It wasn't exactly to his taste, but it was promising and he had no doubt the exhibit would be a success. If Rebekah's insistent complaining was anything to go by the art was as much to her likely as the venue, but thankfully he had the good sense to force Stefan to accompany them so with her talons digging into the other man's arm she directed most of complaints in that direction.

Barely a minute following their arrival he spotted his prey, the good Congresswoman was standing in front of one of the larger pieces sharing a drink and a few serious looking words with her good friend Bonnie Bennett. Being all too familiar with the Bennett witch he held back not overly interested in what it was had her panties in a twist. It was ten minutes before the irritated looking little Miss fix-it left his prey unguarded. Dismissing his late night entertainment he approached the lonesome Elena.

"There's my girl," he said with a wide grin.

Elena choked on her champagne; " _Klaus_."

"You've been rather reckless. What are we going to do about that?" he stared down at her enjoying just how uncomfortable he made her.

"I'm not sure what you mean," she said eyeing her drink as though it was capable of saving her.

"You are not supposed to draw undue attention to yourself sweetheart, it might put a kink in my plans. The whole point of having you a position of power is to further my agenda, not your own," he told her in low voice. There was within her eyes an unhealthy amount of defiance, clearly words were not enough. He scanned the room, the Bennett woman was now in the far corner laughing with a rather tasty looking blonde by the hors d'oeuvre table, there was something vaguely familiar about the blonde but he was temporarily unable to place her. His eyes moved passed them and settled on two of Elena's staffers; "I remember them."

Elena's eyes followed his line of sight a curious look taking over her features.

"Did you know that young Dana there is a recreational cocaine user and Chad is a tax evader?" he smiled brightly taking a large sip of his champagne whilst Elena went pale. "Do you think our press friends might be interested?" he asked taking his phone from his pocket and opening his contact list.

"Don't, Klaus. You don't have to hurt anybody," she pleaded.

"Oh, come on, love. Of course I do," he responded hitting send. "Dana and Chad," was all he said when the other party answered. "You'll be requiring some new staffers I fear," he smirked.

"What is going on?" Bonnie Bennett had left the blonde to join them.

"Ah Ms Bennett, just the woman I wanted to see," he greeted taking her hand and kissing her knuckles in a most unwelcome gesture if her eyes were any indication. "Elena here has a little chore for you to complete, it is very important that her latest trumpeting of all things underprivileged does not lead to anyone questioning her actions on the Ways and Means Committee."

Bonnie looked at him as though she thought him mad, he turned his gaze upon Tyler Lockwood who was at that very moment wrapping himself around the very same blonde the woman had left to join them. He realized in that moment who the leggy blonde was, Ms Caroline Forbes former campaign manager and Tyler's girlfriend of the last two years or so. "Isn't that sweet," he stated directed their attention to the couple. "Such a pity that Tyler's former drug dependency is all set to make front page tomorrow, unless of course your staffer issue bumps him Elena love. Of course he'd be guaranteed top billing if the press were to discover just why he chose to lose himself in prescription medication," he sighed as though the possibility wasn't appealing. "Poor Sarah, she left us much too soon."

And with that he left them, confident that he would not be the only one up all night - though he rather suspected he'd enjoy his more.


	3. Chapter 3

Katherine Pierce was many things, but she wasn't stupid.

When Damon had first approached her requesting her assistance in the Elena matter she had walked out the moment he mentioned the K word. No way was she going up against the Original Asshole... _again_. So when he first approached her she walked away, but a month later when a little birdy told her about a certain someone's search for a necklace that she knew the whereabouts of she walked straight back again. Katherine knew an opportunity when she saw it, and if Klaus wanted Elena's necklace she was quite certain that if she got her hands on it first she would be able to use it to her advantage. She was sick of exile in Obscurity - as she called the god forsaken backwater she'd been forced to live in since she pissed off the Big Bad - and if there was even the slimmest chance the necklace held something of value she had to go after it. Perhaps she could even use it to reclaim her rightful place in society, after all Klaus wouldn't go to the trouble of reconciling with the Original bitch and directing his considerable manpower to locating the object if it wasn't valuable.

And when you considered just how much trouble the vile prick was going to it had to be priceless. It had to be something that could hurt him, something that might even be able to destroy him.

Katherine Pierce wasn't stupid, but she was spiteful and there were few people on the planet she hated more than Klaus Mikaelson. She couldn't possibly ignore a chance to take him down.

So that's how she had ended up in a car, in yet another backwater town, with Damon Salvatore and Jeremy Gilbert (strictly speaking the trunk qualified as "in" the car). Damon wasn't the most pleasant of travelling companions and despite her best efforts…well half-hearted efforts…to lighten his abysmal mood he had remained annoyingly disagreeable. Eventually he had refused to go any further.

_"We've been driving around aimlessly for hours. Where are we going?" he asked pulling the car over to the side of road._

_"Far enough away so that you can't go running back," she snapped back._

_"Not to worry. DC and I are on a bit of a break," he responded with a sigh._

_Katherine smirked. "You and DC, or you and Elena?"_

_"Let's just say Elena and I are having a bit of difference of opinion on how I should behave," he replied turning his gaze on upon the empty road._

_It almost felt like Christmas to Katherine, first the less than flattering news reports on holier-than-thou Elena sterilizing the poor and now 'Chief of Staff' Damon on a break. "Ooh. Let me guess... Elena wants you to be the hero, and you don't like playing pretend."_

_Damon spared her a glance. "Something like that," he muttered and then leaned towards her, capturing her lips. She moved her lips against his, enjoying the heated exchange until he pushed her off him and back into her seat._

_"What are you doing?" she asked annoyed._

_He smirked. "I thought I'd give it a shot. Truth is, you just don't do it for me anymore," and with that he exited the vehicle._

_She was suitably pissed, but knowing she had little choice she followed him out. "Why are we stopping?"_

_"I thought we might want to stretch our legs. Take a break from the sexual tension. I'm tired of driving. It's your turn," he announced._

_"Fine," she said with a sigh holding out her hand for the keys which Damon promptly threw away. "Hey! I..."_

_He cut her off. "We're not going anywhere until you spill your guts."_

_"Fine," she muttered and took Elena's necklace out of her pocket showing it to him. "Do you recognize this, hmm? A little birdy told me that Klaus wants to get his hands on it."_

_Damon looked confused. "Why would Klaus want Elena's necklace?"_

_Making sure that he could see, Katherine hooked her nail into a small indentation at the base of the necklace's medallion and slowly withdrew the hidden USB stick. "It's leverage, Damon. Always stay one step ahead of your enemy," she told him with a wide smile. "Now, are you willing to do whatever it takes to stop Klaus? No turning back?" she asked him seriously._

_"I'm not turning back."_

_Katherine smiled wide. "Good. Because this isn't going to win you any points at home," and with that she opened the trunk showing him the unconscious Jeremy._

_"Jeremy? Really?" he looked equally shocked and intrigued._

_She merely rose an eyebrow in response._

_"I'm listening."_

_"What if I told you there was a way to get Klaus out of all of our hair?" she was enjoying herself now, Damon hanging on her every word._

_"I'd say you were desperate and lying. Or drunk. Or desperate, lying and drunk."_

_"Do you remember my friend Pearl?" she was dragging it out._

_"Vividly," he deadpanned._

_"Years ago, she told me there was a man that Klaus feared. Then she wouldn't tell me anymore."_

_Damon looked annoyed. "Well, why not?"_

_"Because it was her leverage. She knew it was valuable information, and wouldn't share it with me," she said with a mournful sigh._

_"Well, this is all great... But she's dead."_

_"Which is why I never brought it up. Because she only ever told one other person," she led him on._

_"Who?" Damon couldn't hide his eagerness._

_Drum roll please. "Her daughter. Anna."_

_"Who's completely off the radar," he complained._

_"Which brings us right back around to..." Katherine turned back to Jeremy who with perfect timing had awoken._

_"To me. Back around to me," little Gilbert stated._

_It was wonderful when things went precisely to plan._

_"Now Jeremy be a dear and tell us where your ghost love is hiding," Katherine asked in her sweetest voice handing him his phone._

_He looked conflicted for all of five seconds before tapping in the address into Google maps._

_"It's time to go find the keys," Damon muttered wandering off in the direction he threw them._

_"Mm-hmm," Katherine responded with a satisfied smirk plastered on her face._

_Forty minutes and about as many text messages from Bonnie later they arrived at the designated co-ordinates. "I think that your witchy girlfriend's worried that you've run away with your ghostly lover," Katherine told a less than impressed looking Jeremy as she waved his phone in front of his face._

_"Stop with the teeny bopper drama. Let's go," Damon ordered and for a change Katherine did precisely what he suggested. Before they made it to the door Anna exited the house, her lips a thin line. It was a wonder to Katherine that the girl hadn't run, for she was most assuredly not surprised to find them at her door. She figured that Anna must really love Jeremy - she could use that._

_Though the girl was clearly disinclined to help them all it took was a little gratuitous violence leaving Little Gilbert with a sore head and Anna quickly capitulated._

_"You're looking for Mikael," she told them her worried eyes never leaving Jeremy's pained ones._

_"Mikael. Is that his name?" Katherine felt a thrill of anticipation travel up her spine._

_"Who's Mikael?" Damon asked._

_"A psychopath that hates Klaus. You don't want to break him out. He will kill all of you," the dark haired girl told them solemnly._

_"What do you mean, break him out?" Jeremy asked worriedly. And then had she told them._

Which lead Katherine to a place more backwards that the back of beyond backwater town Klaus had banished her to. It was perhaps the most depressing locale on the planet, dry desolate, barren. The perfect place for a prison really and perhaps it might have been become the sight of an official one had some shady government types not designated it for their own little hidey-hole.

It was surprisingly easy to get in to see him, probably due to the fact that whomever had set the place up had not made an appearance in a good long while. The guards now serving no greater purpose than collecting their monthly paychecks, still they brought him to where she waited outside the walls in chains that looked too heavy to walk in. She didn't know what he had done for Abby Bennett to want him entombed for all time, and rather thought the guards themselves were equally ignorant, but there was something about him that was distinctly unnerving.

With a considering glance which seemed to convince the head guard of her insanity he handed her the keys to the handful of padlocks which kept the chains in place and taking the cliche suitcase of cash he and his fellow guards walked briskly back to the safety of the their walls as though hell bent on having as much concrete and iron between them and Mikael prior to his release. The keys were heavy in her hand, but that didn't stop her from unleashing the one man Klaus feared. It was only once he was free and his hand was tightening around her throat that she took the time to consider what kind of person the Devil would fear.

* * *

Tyler had been devastated when his personal battle was plastered all over the newspaper, relegated from the front page by Elena's dodgy staffers but far from unnoticed. There was no point trying to cheer him up not when the mere mention of it sent him into a spiraling depression.

A mere two days following the public airing of his prior prescription drug dependency he had been called into his boss's office. Thirty minutes later he had called her to advise that he was packing up his office having been "given the opportunity to resign" – considering he worked for a brokerage firm and investors were twitchy of late, it wasn't a much of a surprise. Still it was another blow when he was down and left him without the daily distraction from his troubles that work had provided.

Had Caroline lost her job and been deemed "virtually unemployable" in her chosen field, as it seemed the financial industry had decided Tyler was, all her time and effort would have been put into finding a new vocation so she didn't starve. Tyler who had been born into privilege and earned more in interest per quarter than she was paid in a year had no such concerns.

And so he had ample time to wallow in his misery.

And wallow he did.

Tyler didn't leave the house, he day drank, he wallowed, he thought about how bad things were, he night drank, he considered how much worse they might become. After all, if they had all the details of his prescription drug addiction how long could it be before they discovered the cause? He could see the headlines "Senate leader's son guilty of murder?" "Accident or homicide? The death of Sarah Lawson".

Caroline was completely helpless, there was absolutely nothing she could do to help him except to be there as he suffered through it. She went to work, she went to Tyler's, sympathized as he wallowed, slept, went home to change, and then she went to work again. A week went by, the wallowing continued but the media moved on in part due to a controversial proposal sponsored by Elena requiring all female benefit recipients to have contraceptive implants. Elena dominated the news reels stating in a calm manner that the welfare system was a hand up not a hand out and this new program was the logical next step after the welfare reforms she helped pass.

The press core didn't find it surprising, after all it was only to be expected from the most right-wing democrat in office. The public was divided into three camps, those that vilified Elena for suggesting such a thing, those that praised her for having the guts to say what they had been thinking, and the larger majority who were more interested in who was going to win The Voice - even if they didn't actually watch it - and took absolutely no notice.

Tyler was in the third category, not caring about anything outside his own bubble or misery even though Caroline had pointed out that Elena had done it for him. Metaphorically slitting her wrists in order to protect him. Of course being that his unfortunate life choices were public fodder because of the Congresswoman her sacrificing herself on the altar did little to endear her to Tyler.

So he went straight back to wallowing and Caroline went to work. When she returned she thought for a moment she had the wrong house. No drunkard boyfriend sprawled upon the couch, glass of bourbon balanced precariously on the edge.

When she went to work the sky was falling; when she returned…

Tyler greeted her with warm hug and a wide smile. "How was work?" he asked rather than sneered.

"Gooood," she replied all the while waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"I thought we might go out to dinner tonight," he continued cheerily either not noticing her confused expression or choosing to ignore it.

"Out? As in out in public out?" he was worrying her. It was as though the last two weeks hadn't happened.

"Yeah, we haven't been out in a while," he stated as though he wasn't aware of the reason for it.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she was beginning to suspect he was a pod person.

"I'm great, Caroline. I mean, like, phenomenal. Everything's just... Better," he enthused and then picking her up spun her in his arms and kissed her.

"What happened?" if she sounded dumbfounded it was because she was, she felt like she was still spinning.

"You are looking at the newest Financial Executive of Mikaelson Incorporated," he stated proudly.

"Mikaelson Incorporated? As in  _Klaus_   _Mikaelson's_  Mikaelson Incorporated?" It was official the body snatchers were taking over.

"Yes, isn't it awesome? I'll be reporting directly to the Chief Financial Officer," he looked at her as though expecting some kind of affirmation.

" _Klaus_   _Mikaelson_ ," she couldn't manage anything else.

"No, he's the President slash CEO, Elijah is the CFO," he informed her, smile still firmly fixed on his face.

"Elijah  _Mikaelson_?" she barely choked the name out - it wasn't that she didn't know the who's who of the Mikaelson corporate ladder she was just having difficulty processing what Tyler was saying.

"And they said my career in finance was over," he said with a laugh ignoring her incredulous look. "Do you know how many people would  _kill_  to be in  _my_  position now? This is going to be an amazing year," he took her into his arms again.

Caroline hoped it would end better than that pod people movie, because... _seriously_?


	4. Chapter 4

Elena didn't understand how her life had gotten so screwed up. A mere three years previous she'd been optimistic about her future, she'd looked forward to the next day, the next challenge. Now she was just kind of…well flat. Every morning it was a real effort to drag herself out of bed, each time she stepped into her office she felt as though it was leaching the energy out of her. The welfare scheme had breathed a little life back into her, but Klaus had soon put an end to that.

And even though Damon had assured her Klaus had made a swift departure from the Capital when informed of the pending arrival of somebody called Mikael, supposedly the only man alive who Klaus feared – which made her think they should endeavor to stay as far away from the man as possible - his departure hadn't made a lick of difference.

In fact, if anything, it made everything ten times worse because prior to his departure he'd gone to the trouble of replacing her two staffers.

For over two years she'd been mourning the death of her relationship with Stefan, the last thing she needed was his daily presence as a walking reminder of all that was taken from her. So of course, he was Klaus' selection to replace Chad. Still when all was said and done he was a better choice than Klaus' replacement for Dana.

Which led her to what she was slowing beginning to think was an ill-conceived new health kick initiative at the crack of dawn.

She took aim and hit the punching bag with everything she had.

"Crap," she shook her hand after the bag did more damage to her.

"You didn't hit it right," Alaric stated the obvious.

She tried again, this time keeping her thumb on the outside of her fisted hand and though she made contact, and managed not to mangle her hand, the bag barely moved.

"You're not strong enough. Better start lifting some weights, put some meat on your bones," he told her.

"Thanks for not sugar-coating it," she grumbled.

The self-defense sessions were meet to make her feel better not worse. She was meant to leave Alaric's feeling empowered and energized enough that she wouldn't be tempted to self-harm five minutes after arriving at work.

Clearly Alaric didn't get the memo.

"You'll get better if you apply yourself. Just remember that there are people in this world that take whatever they want. They hurt whoever they want. And they do it without remorse. It's their nature. Remember that every time you think I'm being too hard on you," he lectured.

This really wasn't what she signed up for. It was supposed to be a diversion, something to work off a bit of her frustration with her life in general and Klaus and her new staffers specifically. It wasn't supposed to bring to mind everything that was wrong in the world and in hers in particular.

Of course, she only had herself to blame. She'd chosen Alaric to be her instructor, and Alaric was…

Well…he was Alaric.

Elena didn't know his full history, but she knew enough. She was certainly aware that his view of the world was tainted by his time in the armed forces or whatever shady agency he once did the bidding of. Whomever he worked for and whatever he did for them, the job had made him privy to the worst humanity had to offer, and it had almost destroyed him.

He didn't talk about what he'd seen, what he'd done, but it was there in the haunted look in his eyes. There was darkness inside of him.

In short he wasn't exactly who you approached for a little self-defense R&R exercise – he was who you went to if you wanted instruction on the best way to end a person's existence. So perfect if she had murderous intent, not so much for stress relief.

"I know Ric," she told him as she did her best to make the damn bag move. His only response was a long suffering sigh, as though she was personally affronting him with her ineptitude. Perhaps she should have gone running with Bonnie or signed up for Caroline's "hour of hell regime" whatever that was could not have been worse than lessons with Alaric. Then again, for all Caroline's dramatics at times she did tend to call a spade a spade so perhaps her early morning exercise regime was the stuff of nightmares. She hit the bag once more.

"Are you even trying?"

She hated her life.

* * *

Rebekah wasn't ashamed to admit that when Stefan re-entered the Mikaelson fold she'd been ecstatic, seeing it as an opportunity to rekindle a love affair ended by circumstance rather than consent. When they had meet once more and he'd seemed if not exactly enthusiastic to become reacquainted then indulgent in her desire to become so, she'd thought that he too regretted that premature ending. She thought that he had missed her as much as she had him, and that with time - and careful management of her intrusive brother – they might once again find happiness in each other's arms. After all, Stefan was firmly back in the inner circle and five years was not so long a time, certainly not long enough to move on from the love of one's life.

How wrong she was.

The night of Jeremy Gilbert's art exhibition, the moment Stefan's eyes meet those of one Congresswoman Elena Gilbert's, Rebekah learnt the truth. Five years was indeed too short a time to move on from the love of your life, but while she had thought Stefan was hers, it was clear that she was most assuredly not his. Stefan Salvatore had not spent five years pining after her, he had moved on and seemed to have found his forever with a brunette antithesis of all that was Rebekah Mikaelson.

And with that knowledge her rose-tinted glasses were shattered and she finally saw what should have been apparent all along. Stefan was no longer hers…if ever he was…and he was most assuredly not her brothers. Rebekah knew her brother well enough to know that he didn't trust Stefan, but he very much wanted to. What she knew of love told her Stefan could not now, nor ever again, be trusted. Not whilst their interests did not align.

With that in mind she took up her new position, not just as Elena's watcher, but his as well. Not exactly the best use of her - frankly valuable - time, but family meant something to her even if it meant nothing to her prig of brother. And even though she wasn't so much doing the job she'd been appointed to – like she'd be running out for coffee or anything else in her Louboutins or listen to the moaning of Elena's constituents - she was very much of the opinion that her selflessness was deserving of a very big reward, something as close to priceless without actually being such.

Platinum and diamonds…maybe emeralds to bring out the color of her eyes.

She wondered how long before she could reasonably abscond to lunch and whether she should put some items on hold for Nik to buy her in fabricated gratitude. Perhaps she should see if Nik's newest minion Tyler was free, he was handsome enough and she was in need of a distraction considering the Stefan situation.

When was the last time she got a manicure again?

"Rebekah?" an incredulous sounding voice asked.

Rebekah deigned to look up from the contemplation of her manicure wondering if April would be able to fit her in that afternoon and just who would dare to speak to her in such a manner. She found standing before her Elena's little blonde friend, the annoyingly one everyone seemed to like.

Stefan's protégé, Tyler's girlfriend, everybody's BFF. Rebekah looked her up and down, nice enough suit not top end but well-tailored, quality shoes, understated make-up, barely a hair out of place, and a perfect manicure. There was something distinctly offensive about the woman. Infuriating even.

"Whaaat are you wearing?" Operating under the philosophy that one did not feed the animals.

"It's Ann Taylor," Caroline replied smoothing out her crease-less skirt self-consciously.

It was just too easy. "Ugh. Vomit."

Caroline's eyes narrowed. "What are you doing here?"

"I work here," she replied snidely, and none too accurately all things considered.

Caroline's eyes fell across the paperless desk behind which Rebekah was perched and scoffed disbelievingly. "Since when?"

"There was an opening after that unfortunate affair with Dana, so here I am doing my civic duty," she smiled sweetly. "Now, I presume you're here to meet Elena for lunch or something of the like. She's picking up her dry cleaning, so she shouldn't be too long," she advised blandly.

"If you're Dana's replacement shouldn't you being doing that?"

"I'm a Mikaelson," she reminded the other blonde. "Now, you'll need to entertain yourself as I have a few things I need to do," she rose from her chair.

"Clearly nothing related to your supposed job," Caroline commented.

"Naturally, I need a few items to give the Salvatore bachelor pad a more feminine touch seeing as I'm living there. Plus..."

Caroline cut her off, "I'm sorry. Did you say you're living at the Salvatore's, as in, with Damon and Stefan?"

"Did I stutter?" with raised eyebrow. As Caroline seemed lost for words, she continued on. "I'm also in need of some accessories for the benefit on Saturday," she paused. "I guess I'll see you there," she announced innocently sounding enough. Rebekah was pleased to note the tightening of the other blonde's jaw.

"You are not invited. I should know, I organised it," Caroline responded quickly.

"I was appointed to the Charities board just yesterday so I'm not surprised they've yet to inform the staff," she took distinct pleasure at Caroline's affronted look.

"You can't just come here and infiltrate all of our lives," the blonde looked like someone had killed her puppy.

Rebekah smiled brightly. "I'm only interested in yours. Your spunk. Your popularity. Maybe even your boyfriend," and with that she left the other blonde to stew in her own anger.

Diamonds?

Emeralds?

Definitely emeralds.

And maybe another pair of Louboutins or two, one could never have too many after all.


	5. Chapter 5

It was as though she was living an episode of the Twilight Zone. Everything seemed normal enough, but there was something there, just under the surface, and it seemed to her that she was the only one aware of it. Caroline was waiting for the big reveal; were Aliens taking over or was it some mad scientist's mind control experiment?

In any case, Stefan was on some weird trip, well on his way to perfecting a serial killer-like persona that left her wanting to scrub herself clean every time they so much as breathed the same air. Just how did her Zen master mentor become the epitome of unhinged?

Sadly the blight wasn't just affecting him though. However freaky her former mentor might have become it was nothing to the strangeness encompassing Tyler. The bright mood had not abated, which considering his naturally fiery nature was just plain unnatural. According to Tyler everything at MikaEvilson Incorporated was sunshine and rainbows. The fluffy bunnieness of it all was grating and Caroline loved anything cute and snugly, but what was worse was how he felt the need to attempt to indoctrinate her into his weird cult by taking every opportunity to spout off about the winning attributes of each of the godly siblings.

So maybe it wasn't so much the never-ending praise about the life-wrecking Klaus she found the most aggravating. Just maybe it was the admiring words in relation to the blonde bitch that was responsible for Caroline dry-retching. Sue her, but for all the trouble Klaus had caused he was easy on the eyes and it was Rebekah that Caroline wanted to strangle. Not simply because Tyler spoke as though she was all that was right in the world - and just how did that woman find so much time to spend with her boyfriend when she was supposed to be working for Elena? Oh right, she didn't actually do any work - but really, it seemed that the other blonde was hell bent on taking over Caroline's life.

She'd taken over her charity – and yes, Rebekah's last name was in itself a fund raising blessing and it was all about helping others, but seriously? – had invaded her favourite eatery, her favourite everything really. Well, if you didn't include where Caroline purchased the majority of her work wear which was too low-end for the mighty Rebekah Mikaelson – snobby bitch.

And of course there was the whole talons digging into her boyfriend issue, which Tyler kept telling her was ridiculous and just plain petty because Rebekah was just being her naturally generous self and trying to make him feel as though he was a part of the Mikaelson family. He was clearly delusional.

Ordinarily she'd have Bonnie and Elena to console her, but they were suspiciously absent, the kind of absence that was generally indicative of a high degree of scheming. The kind of scheming that she apparently was not to be made privy to, no doubt mostly on account of her sleeping with that MikaEvilson cult member. Caroline completely understood why they wouldn't include Tyler's girlfriend in any plans to take down enemy Numero Uno, she also understood why it might not be advisable to clue in the Assistant DA when it was likely whatever they were doing was skirting the line of legal if not bulldozing over it, but that didn't mean their excluding her didn't hurt.

Still, despite all the signs of a nefarious takeover Caroline was feeling fairly upbeat when she arrived at the Lockwood mansion (probably the nicest back-up venue in the history of time, the original venue being the victim of an exceedingly ill-timed plumbing accident,) for Congresswoman Gilbert's annual staff and friends of the office mixer. In a dress that made her look every inch the successful young adult she was even and the fact that her dress didn't cost a fortune was in her opinion a plus – she didn't need to spend thousands to look good, scratch that, she looked fantastic. Short red draping Sherri Hill dress that hugged her in all the right places and made her legs look a mile long, light make-up and a dazzling smile. Caroline was confident she would draw all the right kind of attention.

And Ms Steal-your-life Mikaelson would eat her heart out, she was certain.

From the corner of her eye she saw Bonnie getting out of a cab and decided to delay her grand entrance to wait for her supposed best friend. Bonnie looked stunning, not at all like someone who'd been suffering from a tragic highly contagious disease that necessitated segregating herself so as not to endanger the general populous and Caroline in particular. Regardless, Caroline was warm in her welcome deciding that any exclusionary planning activities should not put a dampener on her evening. If Bonnie seemed a touch standoffish and nervous, it was not so blatantly obvious that it couldn't be ignored.

They entered the party together, both women's eyes casting a critical gaze upon the festivities. To say that they were surprised was an understatement. "How did he plan a better party than me so fast?" Caroline asked disbelieving, had his mother hired a team of planners? This so wasn't Tyler. "What? Is that a band outside?" Caroline was well on her way to annoyed.

"Who are all these people?" Bonnie asked eyeing the guests suspiciously.

Caroline looked around noting that though all of Elena's staffers were present, and she recognised a few faces from the campaign, the majority of the party goers were complete strangers.

"This is weird! Where is Tyler?" she asked beginning to thread her way through the crowd attempting to locate the party planner extraordinaire. So help him if Rebekah had any involvement in the planning. Caroline didn't see him; she was however treated to a Klaus Mikaelson welcome to the party speech.

And just when did this turn into  _his_  party? Caroline was seriously confused. What's more Bonnie had disappeared and was that Katherine with Matt? Something was going down – just where was Elena hiding?

"The end is nigh," she sighed, certain the evening was only going to get worse. A waiter approached her with a tray of champagne; she took two sculling the first back and grabbing another before he moved two feet.

Self-mediation was definitely in order.

Once she'd polished off her drinks, she was feeling less apprehensive and grabbed a fourth before joining some people she hadn't seen since Elena's campaign. She was just about ready to laugh off her feelings of impending disaster when Tyler rather rudely pulled her from the group to practically demand she meet him in his bedroom in five minutes. Ordinarily she'd have given him a lecture about manners and propriety, but the vibes he was giving off were more nervous than horny so she readily agreed.

The moment he was out of sight she started to worry, and was it her imagination or were those surrounding stranger's gazes on her more often than not? She gave him two minutes before she beat a hasty retreat from that burning sensation of watchful eyes only to arrive in Tyler's room to find it empty. Five minutes later she was about ready to go searching for her boyfriend when he entered the room with a serious expression and two drinks in hand.

"What are you up to with Klaus?" he asked before she had the chance to utter a single word. He put one drink down on a table by the door, hand her the other, and then gave her a look that seemed to indicate he was expecting some kind of confession.

"Uh…nothing," she replied, noting with annoyance that his eyes narrowed as though he believed she was lying to him. She took a healthy sip of the concoction he'd handed her and wished she hadn't. In a word the drink was horrid.

"He is on to you, Caroline. Whatever you all think you're about to pull off - he's two steps ahead of you!" he urged.

"Okay, I don't know what you're talking about," and he was really starting to piss her off.

"You're lying to me," he seemed certain.

Which was even more annoying. "You know, actually, I'm not. I don't know anything. But even if I did, I wouldn't tell you about it, because you are team Klaus now. And you can't be trusted. So can we please just go back to the party now?" she uttered before polishing off her drink in a very unladylike fashion which was just as well because it hadn't gotten any better.

She went to move passed Tyler to exit the room when the world suddenly tilted on its axis her vision swimming.

"I'm sorry Care," she heard him say before everything went black.

* * *

Klaus was feeling great, no he was bloody fantastic. Thirty-eight years after his birth the bane of his existence was no longer of this earth. The son of a bitch had survived the hell Agent Bennett had dropped him into only to die of a heart attack just a few months following his release. And, if Stefan was to be believed, and he wasn't entirely convinced doing such a thing was wise, it was brought on by an altercation with none other than his little Congresswoman Elena. He'd have found it a touch more believable if they'd told him Mikael had kicked the bucket after a round of sex with Ms Goody two-shoes rather than a fight with the woman. Now Bonnie Bennett or Tyler's little girlfriend he could see giving as good as they got, but Elena Gilbert? He doubted the wet rag had much fire in her.

Still, Rebekah had confirmed it and she was usually reliable. And if he could just ask her face to face, he could rest easy, but he'd been searching for her blonde head since he arrived and hadn't glimpsed her yet.

Yet, despite his doubts, he was in a good mood, practically giddy. He was going so far as to start considering whether he should pick a partner from the guest list to continue his celebrations long into the evening or go another round with his latest underling Mindy, when Stefan found him.

"Quite the party," his former friend offered instead of the customary greeting.

"I've been planning my father's funeral for a decade. Granted, in no version of it were any of these people invited, but you get the idea," he replied with a smirk firmly in place. His step father was an arsehole and he wasn't about to pretend otherwise.

"So…what now?" Stefan almost seemed interested, yet another indication that Klaus should be worried.

"Hmm, now I reunite my family," he replied truthfully once again pushing those nagging doubts aside to cling to his elevated mood. It was time to bury the hatchet with his brothers. Not his mother mind you, she could continue to enjoy – or not - her life in exile.

"Your family? You mean the people you treat like servants?"

Any other time he'd have been annoyed by Stefan's questions, but not tonight. Tonight everything was just better, even if it was slightly tainted by his natural tendency to worry. "None of that matters anymore. Mikael is gone. Bygones will be bygones," he advised, letting his gaze wander the crowd, searching once more for his absent sister. "Where is Rebekah?"

"I have no idea. I thought she was coming with Matt," Stefan replied.

Who the hell was Matt? Klaus would need to find out, his sister had appalling taste in men and this Matt was unlikely to be any different. Though considering when last they spoke of the revolving door that was her love life she'd been harping on about Tyler Lockwood it probably wasn't anything to worry over. A passing fancy, rather than the blind devotion she'd wasted on the likes of Stefan, Marcel, Alexander and the host of other unworthy 'loves of her life'.

Regardless of whoever was Rebekah's latest bauble, Klaus was only too aware that one of her Formers was lying. The question was why.

"Oh, be honest now, Stefan. Where is my sister?" The longer she was absent the more likely he was to be disappointed, he was sure.

Stefan bristled. "I said I have no idea. How would you like me to take you to your father?"

The quick change in subject didn't go unnoticed. Klaus felt a sense of foreboding; was his perfect evening about to go to hell? Hope for the best, plan for the worst – in his experience the worst normally happened.

"Well, it wouldn't be a party without the guest of honour, would it?" he commented whilst carefully scanning the area once more. "Bring him here," he ordered, none too keen on going to another location where he would be at more of a disadvantage.

"I want to stop working for you," Stefan announced. As though his father having a heart attack was something he'd brought about and deserved to be rewarded for.

"Oh, you want your freedom. Well, once I confirm he is dead I'll accept your resignation. It would be my pleasure." After all Stefan wasn't exactly the model employee and Klaus rather thought his usefulness was at an end.

Stefan nodded and left him, to get Mikael's body or to set whatever trap they had planned. Klaus wasn't certain which, but he was leaning towards the latter. Just how far were they prepared to go? He wondered. What was Elena's happiness worth? He was rather of the opinion it was best not to find out, but it wasn't as though he could let the Congresswoman do as she liked either.

His encounter with Stefan had greatly diminished his enjoyment of the evening. Klaus was on edge, awaiting the inevitable strike.

"My mom would seriously freak if she saw all these people here," Tyler commented upon joining him, seemingly oblivious to the tension in the air.

"Your mother won't be a problem. She's milking the press at late night Mass though she might pray for your friends whilst she's there."

"What are you talking about?" Tyler seemed genuinely clueless, but then didn't he always?

"I want you to look around. There is Bonnie, there is Elena and Matt and there's your pretty little girlfriend Caroline," he paused on the blonde, noting yet again just how diverting she was. He wondered - should the evening turn out for the better after all - if she was the type to indulge in extra-circular activities outside her relationship. He could already imagine those long legs embracing his waist as he pumped inside her. Just how exclusive was exclusive?

A question for another time perhaps.

"Their epic bash was wrecked tonight and who came through with the party? You did. What a pal. But who are all these other people here?" he watched as Tyler's expression went from confused to pensive.

"I have no idea. I've never seen half these people in my life," his wide eyes moved from one stranger to another.

"That's because I've invited a few dozen friends of my own. That`s my friend Mindy- picked her up from Kansas PD small issue of excessive force," he pointed out the caramel-skinned beauty who was less security more PA - when she wasn't performing certain other duties outside the job description. "That's Tony former Navy S.E.A.L. and let's not forget the Forte Forth contingent," Klaus smirked as Tyler's eyes practically popped out of his head. Each and every one of his other 'friends' was lethal and looked it. More importantly each was loyal…well, loyal enough.

"Are those people all ex government?" Tyler seemed uneasy. Klaus doubted it was the employment history of his security detail, rather the fact that they bled menace.

"And they also love a good party. And they, like you, are very loyal. So if anyone should so much as make a move against me, they may feel obligated to retaliate. You're free to warn your friends," he informed the dumbfounded boy who in no time at all rushed to the pretty blonde's side pulling her aside.

He'd definitely need to wait for another occasion, it didn't seem like Caroline would be available later that evening even if she wasn't stuck on that whole monogamy kick as he suspected she was. It wasn't like he was starved for options, so no great loss. Still, he greatly admired those legs. Tyler left her after a few quick words, but she followed him into the house a couple minutes later leaving Klaus looking for something else to distract him whilst he awaited the latest move from the brain's trust. He found an amusing diversion called beer pong that some of the student volunteers from Elena's campaign had set up on a table inside.

Turned out he was exceptionally good at the game.

"You have a visitor," one of his security detail, he couldn't for the life of him recall the man's name interrupted his winning streak.

"Well, tell my visitor I`m on the brink of victory here," he was literally two throws away from what the students told him was the longest winning streak they had ever witnessed.

"He said his name is Mikael," he said.

And with that all the remaining joy deserted him. Of course the cockroach wasn't dead. "Then we mustn't keep him waiting. Move everyone out back. I`m gonna have a little chat with my dad," he turned to Tony who had been his shadow most of the evening. "Tony, you know what to do."

Much too soon he found himself face to face with Mikael and though they managed to be civil enough to exchange greetings that was about as long as any good will lasted. Still, it was a record for them and with four of his security detail encircling their little reunion Klaus felt confident that were it to all end in blood shed it wouldn't be his. Problem was, though Mikael had certainly raised his hand often even when Klaus was growing up, he could hurt him with words alone.

"The big bad wolf. You haven`t changed. Still hiding behind your playthings like a coward, Niklaus," he sneered.

"I don't need them," he replied and he mostly meant it. Mikael was a dangerous psychopath, always had been, but he had been locked away for almost a decade and Klaus could see the toll it had taken on the man. Mikael seemed diminished, whether because of what he had endured or because the Mikael from his nightmares was a fabrication Klaus wasn't sure. But regardless, this Mikael was not an invincible boogieman.

Mikael's sneer in response indicated his disbelief in that statement. "If you were a man you'd face me alone, you little coward."

It may not have been the smartest decision Klaus had ever made, but he signalled Tony to leave them alone. "My whole life you've underestimated me," he stepped forward only too aware that this would end in violence. The two of them could only ever talk for so long.

"You seem rather impatient. Are you so eager to meet your end?" Mikael enquired with a cruel smile.

Was it any wonder Klaus ended up as he did with the likes of Mikael as his father figure? "I just need to be rid of you," he had never been more honest.

"To what end, Niklaus? So you can live on with no one at your side? Nobody cares about you, boy! What do you have other than those whose loyalty you forced? No one. No one," Mikael sneered.

If there were tears in his eyes they were caused by anger; that is what he told himself. It certainly wasn't because Mikael had cut him to the quick; it wasn't because the only father he had ever known despised him. It wasn't because what Mikael said was true. He was Klaus Mikaelson, he was as close to godlike as they came. He was not the scared little boy desperate to be loved. Still, he had no words to respond with.

Mikael laughed, a harsh bark of a thing that held no joy. "I've traveled all the way back from hell for this moment," he crowed.

Klaus smiled without an ounce of warmth. "Well, then, I'd hate to keep you waiting!" And with that he launched himself at the man he once called father, once foolishly considered as such.

Almost from the first moment he struck, Klaus realised the error his anger had caused him to make. Of the two of them Mikael had always been the better fighter, though Klaus' relative youth and strength would ordinarily evened the playing field - if not gifting him the advantage - but he had thrown strategy aside and simply charged. It was imprudent and allowed Mikael to use his own momentum against him. However he appeared, Mikael had never been weak and all too soon Klaus found himself on the ground holding his side where a Mikael sized foot print was forming. He moved to rise only to receive yet another kick in the stomach that stole his breath away and kept him flat on his back.

"Your impulse, Niklaus. It has and will forever be the one thing that keeps you from truly being great," Mikael instructed as he waved a knife so it glinted in the light from the nearby mansion, his intent clear as he took position above Klaus' prone body.

The glinting steel came down in an arc and might have found its mark had Mikael kicked him once more before attempting to end him, but there was life left in him and he used it to turn the blade so that it found its home in his shoulder rather than his heart. Klaus capitalised on Mikael's momentary shock at being thwarted to land a palm heel strike forcing Mikael backwards and regaining his feet.

Though in no small amount of pain Klaus at least retained a full range of movement and might have been able to end Mikael's existence had it not been for the sudden influx of police officers who restrained both combatants. As both the Salvatore's were lurking behind he had little doubt as to who had called them.

"That's him officers," Stefan announced with finger pointing. "Just attacked without warning."

And with as little vindication as that, the restraining hands let him go and the officers dragged a rather shocked looking Mikael from the scene. Klaus was fairly certain Damon was just as shocked hissing in his brother's ear something that sounded like "What the hell are you doing?"

Too late to change to the result, but interesting none-the-less.

Klaus wondered what the plan was, did they intend for Mikael to kill him or was he to have an unfortunate accident whilst in custody. Considering the extent of Damon's shady acquaintances, he imagined the latter. In other circumstances he might have been impressed, but they had tried to kill him and such things had consequences. Something Damon surely realised as a moment later he made his exit leaving Klaus and Stefan and a team of fast approaching medics.

"Thank you my friend," Klaus had never been quite so grateful. "Consider yourself fired."

Before Stefan had the opportunity to say anything the medics were upon Klaus. After conceding to his assurances that he was more than capable of walking to the ambulance, they led him the vehicle continuing to fuss over him. Tony made an appearance just prior to him being bundled off granting time enough for Klaus to make a single phone call and though it made no sense to anyone listening it did wonders to his mood.

He happily went off to emergency whilst Mikael went to his death.

* * *

Caroline didn't think she'd ever had such a bad hangover, her headache had a headache. Though she was sure she'd regret it she opened her eyes a slit and was assaulted by light that drilled into her brain.

"Are you okay?" Tyler asked.

He had to be joking. "What do you think?" it wasn't the hangover from hell that made her voice harsh.

"I`m sorry I drugged you. It was the only thing I could think of to get you out of there," he seemed trapped between frustrated and concerned.

She was having none of it. "Oh, yeah, not hey Caroline, um, I worried about what might happened this evening so maybe you should just go home and watch Dancing with the Stars?"

"If you knew all your friends were gonna get together and try to take down Klaus, would you have left?" he tried to reason with her.

"No." Though that was hardly the point. What kind of person drugged their girlfriend?

He smiled triumphantly, as though her admission justified his actions. "So there you go. I saved you from your own stubbornness," he chuckled.

Caroline was not amused, not even a little bit. What the hell was wrong with him? "This isn't funny, Tyler! How am I supposed to be with you when you're his man?!"

Tyler sighed, as though she was the one who had done something wrong. "I need you to understand, Caroline…" he began.

"Understand what? That you`re one of the bad guys now?" she cut him off. She was bordering on hysterical, but she had every right to be. Her boyfriend had drugged her. Drugged her!

"Do you even know what your friends did? They tried to kill Klaus, and why? Because he got Elena her job and expects her to be grateful? That's politics, and really Klaus is making this country better, can you imagine what Elena would do if left to make her own decisions?!" he ranted. "Klaus has only ever helped us!"

Caroline couldn't deny that his words shocked her, Elena had tried to kill Klaus? Just when did her friend decide murder was an acceptable solution?

Victory belonged to the pod people clearly.

However, no matter what ill-advised actions her friends had taken, Tyler was the one that hurt  _her_ and in the worst possible way. He knew what had occurred between Damon and her some years previous, so Tyler drugging her into unconsciousness was a betrayal of the foulest kind. He had taken from her the one thing she never wished to part with again – control.

And in doing so he had destroyed any chance of her ever trusting him again.

"How are you okay with this?" she wasn't talking about Elena. This wasn't about Elena or Klaus.

Tyler clearly didn't know that. "Because it`s better. Klaus gave me back my life Caroline. No one else would hire me and he did. Everyone wrote me off, I couldn't get anyone to look at my résumé let alone get an interview. I was a rising star and then I was nothing. Klaus saved me, I owe him everything," he was adamant.

Caroline, who had been there with him every step of the way, understood that Tyler was grateful to Klaus. Understood why Tyler felt he owed the man. She even understood that he wanted to protect her and remove her from the harmful situation Elena and Co.'s murderous intentions created. What she didn't understand was why Tyler had to drug her to do it. And why it was so easy for him to dismiss it. To dismiss her.

"I can't trust you," she told him.

His eyes widened in shock, as he realised the import of her declaration. "After everything that we've been through, you've been there for me through all of it. Don`t turn your back on me now," he pleaded.

Caroline wasn't unmoved, but without trust their relationship couldn't work. She knew it, and he did too. "Tyler…"

He cut her off. "Right."

And with that he left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're a visual person, the Lockwood mansion for this is the Bowie-Sevier House in Georgetown.
> 
> This is yet another chapter I'm not overly happy with. One hundred percent my fault for choosing to include Mikael in this as his inclusion forced a change in focus - you cannot include such a character and not have it degenerate into violence. To move past this as quickly as possible I've relied heavily on the dialogue from the series and hope that it's not too stilted or unrealistic.
> 
> It is my intention in this story to rely upon your knowledge of season three so I don't actually have to include events that Caroline and Klaus were not directly involved in but had a direct bearing upon events in which they were parties. Such as in this chapter. If such omissions create any confusion, please let me know.


	6. Chapter 6

Caroline had routines, work plans, schedules of chores, lists of things to do, a list of her lists – she was not entirely inflexible, but close enough to it. Spare time was a foreign concept, so of all things following her break-up with Tyler, not to mention the hostile takeover of her charity and the general absence of Bonnie and Elena, it was the disruption to her carefully planned existence that was the most disconcerting.

It wasn't that she didn't love Tyler, on some level she believed she always would, but their relationship had always been more comfortable than passionate. If it wasn't the MikEvilsons it would have been something else, they loved each other, but they didn't _love_ each other. Still no break up was without its heartache, and her break up with Tyler was not an exception. She'd had a good cry, bemoaned all that went wrong, and she really did miss Tyler…and the sex – oh how much did she miss the sex?! – yet that only took up so much time and there were a good 18 hours of productive time each and every day.

The whole schedule thing was less than ideal, but luckily for Caroline organising and re-organising just happened to be one of her favourite past times. Plus it had the added bonus of occupying her mind thereby preventing her from dwelling too much on the failure of yet another relationship and the loss of certain relationship benefits. What they said about absence making the heart grow fonder might not necessarily be true but abstinence certainly made her lament losing her bed partner. Still her libido did not control her and she wasn't about to put aside the whole drugging her thing simply to save on batteries.

Of course the consideration of her schedule and taking care of those other matters were not enough to fill the time she previously spent with Tyler or her friends – and the charity work Rebekah had taken over - nor was organising her canned foods by expiration date, hand washing every glass and piece of cutlery/plate/bowl/pot/dish that she owned, completing a full forensic cleansing of her apartment, or re-organising her already organised closet. Even an increase in her already heavy case load didn't quite fill the schedule holes. She'd clearly allocated too much time to the man and with Rebekah freezing her out, and her friends still otherwise engaged she was in desperate need of a new project.

Sadly she had yet to find one, and that was why she had thought it advisable to go drinking on a Tuesday with the paralegals from her latest case and then instigate something of a drinking competition. Caroline had drunk her two companions under the table – who said there was no advantage in knowing Salvadork? – but she hadn't exactly been in the best of shape.

She'd felt sober enough to politely refuse a ride home from both of the paralegal's significant others but half an hour after they'd practically carried their other halves out the alcohol had caught up with her. She'd been aware of the need to go home, but something had been wrong with her legs and her head had seemed to have difficulty remaining upright unless propped it up with her right arm – her left being busy propping up her right.

After doing her best impersonation of the thinking man for another hour, she somehow managed to get herself home and though she didn't recall doing such things in the morning she'd stripped off her clothing, sorted it into dry cleaning and machine washable, run a load of washing, removed her make-cup, brushed her teeth, and found her way to her bed. Which is where she'd awoken the next morning feeling as though she'd been run over by a truck, and almost regretting her competitive streak. Still, she'd dragged herself up and having forced a couple aspirin down into her churning stomach with a large cup of black coffee made it to work in time to attend the mid-week work in progress meeting.

It was ten minutes prior to the meetings end that Caroline came to truly regret her overindulgence the night before, for that was when her boss asked her if she had the capacity to take on a custody incident. Had her brain been in functional order she would have immediately realised just what incident to which her boss was referring and she'd have had the good sense to answer in the negative.

But as her marinated brain failed to make the connection and answered in the affirmative Caroline ended up saddled with Mikael's mysterious demise. The Medical Examiner's initial finding was natural causes, but as Caroline was just shy of certain his death was far from natural she rather expected it to be upgraded to homicide. She was very clearly conflicted, but very much unable to disclose herself as such. After all, just how was she to explain that she couldn't take the case because the man most likely died because he joined her friends in an ill-conceived plan to kill the Big Bad?

Caroline couldn't think of a way - excepting of course turning herself in as an accessory after the fact.

She was so screwed. Just not in the way she wanted to be.

* * *

He'd been on a two week celebratory tour of Washington DC's finest drinking establishments, incorporating a tasting tour of the female variety, and was far from finished reveling. However, being who he was and doing what he did, it wasn't possible to avoid work. He wasn't an absentee boss who sat back waiting for the little people to fund his gregarious lifestyle, he ran Mikaelson Incorporated with an iron fist - knew each and everything that occurred in his glass towers.

So whilst he spent his nights thoroughly enjoying all life had to offer one such as himself, he was at work every morning by eight and remained there until six in the evening. A shorter day than was usual for him, but it wasn't every day the bane of one's existence was put in the ground or in John Doe's case most likely to be cremated before finding a home in a lovely cardboard box. It wasn't like Klaus was going to claim him as his own, none of the Mikaelson's who actually shared D.N.A. with the man were in the system, and he was fairly certain the Salvatore's and company would maintain their silence on the matter so he was free to consign Mikael as a random crazy.

It was at his office that the F.B.I. arrived, with the lovely assistant D.A. in tow – not exactly following correct procedure, but he wasn't going to make an issue of the leggy blonde folded gracefully in one of his visitor chairs. He momentarily imagined a meeting of a different sort and how much more delectable she would look in the space beneath his desk with her pretty pouty lips wrapped around his favorite appendage before his attention was claimed by the less visually pleasing agents accompanying her.

"Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to go over this with us Mr Mikaelson," Jordan the older of the two agents said sounding less than sincere.

"Not a problem, now how can I be of assistance?" though the question was for the officers he maintained eye contact with the lovely blonde making a more personal offer with his dark gaze. He was pleased by the pink tinge that blossomed in her cheeks – not quite so much by the thinning of her pressed lips or the narrowing of her eyes.

"Much appreciated," Rosza the younger officer, was almost believable. "This is merely a procedural matter, you understand, it is required to investigate all death in custody cases so we will need you to tell us everything that occurred," he topped it off with a smile presumably meant to be reassuring.

Klaus found it all rather amusing and without further prompting launched into a heavy edited version of events leading up to John Doe's incarceration. He greatly enjoyed the blonde's reactions in his peripheral vision, biting her bottom lip in a clear effort to prevent herself from pointing out the blatant lies he sprinkled throughout his less than faithful retelling. Luckily for both of them the agents' eyes remained fixed on his face which gave nothing away. A few follow up questions and half an hour from their intrusion the agents seemed about done when the elder received a phone call, apologizing he excused himself and then a minute later the younger also excused himself leaving Klaus alone with the leggy blonde.

Klaus had never been one to waste an opportunity. "Care for a drink love?" he inquired standing from his chair and moving to the small bar area to the side of his office.

She turned her head looking at him dubiously before rising out of her own chair bringing her briefcase and handbag with her. "Thank you, no, I think I'll see what's keeping them," she said politely enough if one disregarded the disdain blazing in her eyes.

"And here I thought you were a good southern girl. Surely you won't force me to drink alone sweetheart," he smiled winningly. At least he thought so.

Caroline sighed as though greatly inconvenienced. "It's a little too early in the day for me Mr Mikaelson," she responded - polite smile but a firm tone.

"It's five o'clock somewhere, love, and please call me Klaus," he deepened his voice and threw her his patented smirk – responsible for dropping not just a few women's panties. Strangely she appeared more annoyed than aroused.

"Ms Forbes," she intoned. "Or if you must, Caroline."

He stared at her blankly; it wasn't as though he was unaware of her name.

She seemed to find the lack of a response all the more annoying. "It's not _love_ , or _sweetheart_ , or any of the many other endless endearments you no doubt use on the never ending line of interchangeable bimbos you surround yourself with. I have a name, and I would appreciate it if you would use it when you address me," her voice turned deceptively sweet on the final sentence, but her eyes were two narrow slits spitting fire. "Now, if you'll excuse me," she left him no time to respond as she strode out the door like he was some kind of leper.

If he found her arousing before, she was doubly so now.

Caroline didn't return though Jordan came back in a minute later to advise that they were done, but would let him know if they needed anything further.

Klaus insisted on seeing them out and found her waiting by the lift with Rosza, looking none too pleased as he joined them. When the lift arrived she strategically placed herself between the wall and Rosza, but upon reaching their destination made the error of holding back for the others to go first. Klaus held the doors open with his body, deliberately standing in the middle thereby forcing her to brush him on her way out. Klaus enjoyed the light blush that rose upon her cheeks and the barely noticeable shiver of her body at the slight touch – she was clearly not immune to his charms, at least physically. He turned and immediately followed her, smirking as she shot him a glare at his continued proximity.

"Thank you again for your time," Rosza said, his partner offering only an short acknowledging nod before exiting the building.

"Please feel free to contact my office if you have any further queries," Klaus dismissed him and stepped in front of Caroline blocking off the exit she so clearly wished to be out of already. He further encroached upon her personal space grabbing her hand and bringing it up to his mouth. "It was a pleasure to see you again Caroline," he purred before pressing his lips to the back of her hand. Her eyes widened, whether in surprise, pleasure, or both he couldn't be sure. However, she quickly recovered snatching her hand back and then rather childishly wiping it on the fabric of her skirt as though it might erase the contact.

Caroline opened her mouth, presumably to respond, only to snap her lips back together shortly after swallowing whatever, no doubt snarky, response she might have made. Then with a uneasy sounding, "Mr Mikaelson," she left.

As entertaining as the meeting had been it had delayed him from his work long enough so he hurried back to his office conscious of everything he needed to complete before another night of debauchery could commence. However just an hour later he found he wasn't making a whole lot of progress, thoughts of a certain blonde welcoming him between her long legs claiming entirely too much of his processing power. It was at this particular moment his eternally irresponsible brother turned up.

"I'm so tired," Kol moaned.

"I'm working," he muttered in response, valiantly attempting to finish the report he'd been stuck on for the last hour.

Kol dramatically collapsed unto Klaus' leather couch. "I worked a whole two hours this morning," he announced as though it were no mean feat. "That new minder is a slave driver – I had to pretend we had a lunch meeting to get rid of her," he continued in a morose tone.

Klaus wasn't sure who the new minder was, Elijah tended to handle Kol's hirings, but he was glad to hear that they were actually doing their job as opposed to the last few who had – depending upon their attractiveness – either spent their working hours playing solitaire or in a variety of creative sexual positions.

Were it solely up to Klaus Kol wouldn't be in his company's employ, but Elijah had believed Kol would get in less trouble if he a job and it wasn't as though anyone else would hire him. For his part Kol enjoyed the salary and the fact that when questioned about his vocation by a prospective bed partner marketing executive increased his success rate from trust fund playboy. As an added bonus he found corrupting each and every one of Elijah's appointees especially entertaining, particularly when Elijah found out.

"It's been a month, you'd think the little witch would have seen reason, but no, she continues to schedule appointments – _actual_ appointments – and don't get me started on those stupid reports she makes me read," Kol advised, clearly not overly bothered that Klaus didn't respond. "Work isn't fun anymore, there's no joy. She's a joy sucker."

Klaus grunted in response, still no closer to finishing his examination of the report on the Asia expansion and despairing that he never would.

"I shouldn't have to read reports Nik let alone be in the office by 9 am, you know she rings me continuously if I'm not in by then and if I turn my phone off she has one of those underlings of yours come bang on my door. You know I don't get to sleep before 4 am, how am I supposed to be my normal charming self on such little sleep? I'm much better suited to wining and dining prospective clients over a late lunch or introducing them to all the best night spots. You need to get Elijah to call that little pit bull off," he whined pathetically.

"I will do no such thing," Klaus snapped.

"But Nik, she's evil, she removed all the alcohol from my office," Kol said acting as though the world was ending.

That caught Klaus' attention, he looked up, giving up on the report altogether. "She did what?"

"She took it all away including Pappy's - said it was impacting my productivity, since when am I productive?"

"Tell me she didn't throw it out," he demanded ready to fire the girl himself should the answer be in the affirmative.

"Almost as bad, she gave it to Elijah," Kol advised before dragging himself off the couch and approaching Klaus' well stocked bar.

"Don't even think about it Kol," he warned his younger brother off his own bottle of Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 23 year old bourbon.

"Just one glass Klaus, it's against employment law or human rights or something to deprive one of basic needs."

"Feel free to ask Elijah for yours back, or better yet resign," and with that Klaus rescued the bottle Kol's resentful gaze focussed on.

"Wanker, take me out for a drink then," Kol demanded.

Locking the bottle in the bottom draw of his desk Klaus sighed. It was barely mid-day and he had a hell of a lot of work to do. He really should tell Kol to come back in a few hours, but he hadn't really gotten anything done since the blonde interrupted earlier and couldn't see himself getting anything done in what was left of the working day. Much like Kol he was in need of a little entertainment, a letting off of steam so to speak. As though anticipating his capitulation a wide smile spread across Kol's face.

"Bloody hell, why not? It's not as though you'd let me get any work done," he answered, doing his best to sound reluctant.

"Fantastic! Let's go," Kol enthused already half way out the door.

Aware that his working day was at its end Klaus logged out of his computer before following his brother out the door. By the time he arrived at his secretary's desk Kol was already at the lift tapping his foot.

"Cancel the rest of my day Greta, I'll see you tomorrow," he advised before joining the impatient Kol who was holding the lift.

Though he would no doubt regret it the next morning he found himself greatly enjoying his work free afternoon. Following a long lunch he and Kol enjoyed a few glasses of the world's most expensive bourbon at a gentleman's club before adjourning to a bar where a gaggle of women vied for the brothers' attentions. By 11 pm he was pleasantly drunk and taking the delightful red haired Aurora to bed, the blonde far from his thoughts.


End file.
